A steady supply of inexpensive, quality adhesives is important to modern society. Adhesives are used whenever two or more materials are designed to be joined by cohesion bonding and surface adhesion. Adhesives find their way into most, non-food consumer products. Major buyers include the bookbinding industry, companies who supply fabricated building materials such as processed wood for furniture and construction, and the textile/house wares industries. Some adhesives find specialized use in equipment construction and medical devices. The use of adhesives is essentially fundamental to the concept of “finished goods.”
Many adhesives use petroleum-derived feedstock molecules such as formaldehyde, phenol and methylene diisocyanate. These chemicals can be volatile, easily escaping into the air, and may be harmful to human and animal health. Formaldehyde in particular has been classified as a carcinogen. Studies have linked volatile compounds from buildings and consumer products to several health problems such as sick building syndrome. Medical statistics show that about a quarter of the population of the United States may suffer from some malady (asthma, allergies, and other respiratory diseases) which may be at least in part aggravated by indoor pollution.
Such petroleum-based adhesives often require organic solvents or thinners for distribution. These solvents or thinners include methylene chloride, toluene, and/or trichloroethane, all of which may cause health risks. As the adhesive sets or cures, these solvents are given off as vapors in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are becoming of significant concern for both indoor air pollution and outdoor water supply pollution. Therefore, adhesives which are made from non-toxic components and which do not give off harmful vapors are desirable.